Northumberland and Holy Island

 

This evening, I am reprising a tour which commenced in eastern Scotland and concluded near Holy Island in N.E. England.

First, we departed our lodgings in North Berwick, Scotland and the followed the east coast round, calling first at St.Abbs and then Eyemouth.

Eyemouth is part seaside resort and part working fishing harbour. It is located in a natural harbour where the River Eye flows into the North Sea. We saw lots of fishing boats plus a couple of curious seals.

Next, we went to our main target of the day, namely Holy Island which is located off the Northumbrian coast in England.  We reached the island about 12.00 noon and were then ‘trapped’ there for six hours until the tide receded thus allowing us to drive back across the causeway to the mainland.

Holy Island has much to offer the visitor. There are hiking trails, flora and bird life, scenic views,beaches tourist orientated shops, a mead producer, heritage centre, church, castle and priory.

 

 

Lindisfarne Castle

Stands high on a volcanic rock and dominates the local landscape. Built in the 16th century as a military defence then deteriorated into a ruin and subsequently restored in the 20th century. It is now owned by heritage organisation, the National Trust.

Lindisfarne Priory

An early Christian centre established in the 7th century, probably at behest of King Oswald. The famous Lindisfarne Gospels were created here during the 8th century and now reside in the British Library in London.

The site was abandoned in the 9th century due to the incidence of Viking raids. However, the Priory was re-established during the Norman period in the late 11th century and continued until suppressed by Henry VIII in 1536. The ruins evident today are of Norman origin.

After returning to the mainland we checked into our lodgings which are close to the shore and offer good views of Holy Island.

Tomorrow, we visit Hadrian’s Wall and other sites